


Un-creative Workaholic

by Lame_space



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 18:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7517990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lame_space/pseuds/Lame_space
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Surrounded by overly creative people and aspiring artists, Lilly can't help but feel out of place at the Roosterteeth company. She doesn't have any notable talents and doesn't have much of a name for herself within the community. If being a workaholic was a talent, then she'd definitely be a pro at it and might even get recognized for it. All she wants is to feel important, but, who doesn't?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot

Living in Austin was a whole new experience than living, well, anywhere else. Lilly really enjoyed the way of life, the uniqueness of the city, and the hospitality of the people. Sure, there's always going to be assholes, but when you find the few who aren't, then it truly is special and you remember them. Lilly got to experience those few kind people every day while working at Roosterteeth, and she cherished every minute of it.  
The ride to work was especially her favorite. Who knew so much could happen on just the few streets in between Lilly's apartment and the Roosterteeth office. The hustle and bustle of businesses opening for the day, the different characters and workers she saw, and even the different stray animals, were intriguing to her and sometimes confusing. To think that all these different people and things had entirely separate lives from her linear timeline was interesting but also confusing. She decided not to think about it too much each morning and would instead take in the morning air, inhaling it deep into her lungs and exhaling it to settle her nerves of another work day.  
Lilly really had no reason to get nervous for work, but who knows what would happen today. Her breathing exercises while biking to work often halted her worries in their tracks, but sometimes they failed entirely. The Roosterteeth office has no routine for what happens every day, which is to be expected considering they just go with the flow or do what they'd like to. Lilly could handle going with the flow, but she would prefer to get work done before goofing off. This was especially hard when Gavin would interrupt her coding the website, editing videos, or attempting (and failing) to come up with ideas the company would like. There was even a day where Brandon and Blaine threw Mac and Cheese all over Barbara, which put a halt to her work day. After that incident, Lilly began keeping a few changes of clothes in her office and expecting the same every time she walks around a corner. She never could predict what was going to happen any day at work, that's where going with the flow came in. She often had to allow herself to be pulled away from work to do a silly shenanigan (the latest ones being: joining a Pokemon Go team and filming videos for it) which she will do gladly if it means she keeps her job. After all, Lilly really doesn't offer anything special to the company.  
The employees all had some special job, talent, or achievements that made their time at Roosterteeth more valuable. Lilly's job was really just a few simple jobs thrown together that had a creative title. She had no talents, achievements, or things she was especially good at that made her a valuable employee. In all honesty, her job could be split up and given to other people, which means one less person to pay. Lilly, however, knows she won't get fired, seeing as Burnie is a long time family friend who practically raised her. She just wished that she could offer more to the company.  
Lilly's thoughts that had begun to grow darker, were interrupted when she arrived at the office. Parking her bike in the bike rack (Burnie denies getting it installed just for her), she heads over to the doors and swipes her I.D. card at the lock. The route to her office was ingrained into her heart, so she absentmindedly walked it and dug in her computer bag for her office keys. It was about 6 in the morning at this point, so no one was around which was always a nice start to her morning. The time before everyone gets in and the interruptions begin are Lilly's favorite, seeing as that's when the most work gets done. Lilly enters her office and scans the room to ensure everything is where she likes it. She never could understand how Gavin could have so much junk on his desk, or how he got anything done at it for that matter. Lilly's office was exceptionally clean, organized, and maintained. She had her nerdy decorations on shelves around the room, and posters on the wall, but other than that there was only a pencil holder, monitor, and paper organizer on her desk, which faced the door and was 2 desks in a 90 degree angle. She also had a couch placed in the room with a pillow and blanket nearby for any late working employee who needed a quick rest. Obviously Lilly had her game consoles, but they were stacked underneath her desk in an organizer with fans to ensure no overheating.  
Lilly booted up her computer and began setting out all the work she needed to finish for the day. With that being done, Lilly headed to all the different offices and began booting up those computers in an effort to make everyone else's mornings easier. To top it off, Lilly walked to the kitchen area and turned on the coffee machines, and then slowly walked around the building and turned on lights.  
Lilly practically skipped back to her office with how smoothly everything was going this morning, and upon arrival, she turned on her Bluetooth speaker. Lilly knew her mood reflected her music and this morning it was a calm indie playlist she had set up.  
With the completion of her morning routine, Lilly set herself to work on her latest project to fix broken links on the website and silently prayed for a good day with no hiccups or derailment of the work train.


	2. Something New

Lilly's hopes of no interruptions were crushed pretty quickly. Upon the official beginning of the work day, her door was knocked on quietly. The other employees knew that Lilly really didn't like being interrupted, despite it happening quite often, but they were at least nice enough to not just barge into her office.  
"Come in!" Lilly replied. Her door was opened and in came Barbara. "Morning, Barbara! What can I do for you?" Lilly offered Barb a smile to which Barb returned.  
"Hey, Lilly! I wanted to talk to you about something. Mind if I come in?" Lilly waved her in and saved some of the work she had done. Barbara closed the door behind her and came over to Lilly's desk. "So, Bernie and I have been talking." Barbara paused and Lilly began to internally panic. This couldn't be good. "We have been looking into the community and what they want to see more of. Turns out, they want to see a new face in some videos, some fresh content, and ideas. We thought that you'd be perfect for the job!" Lilly stared at Barbara and considered the offer.  
"I don't know, Barb. Being in front of a camera really isn't my thing." Barbara nodded her head in understanding.  
"We also talked about how to ease you into it. AHWU's is the solution we came up with. The intro of it is pretty much scripted, in a sense that you just read the new games coming out, what's new, and what's happening. You don't have to think about it too much, you know?" Lilly took a deep breath and tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong. It's worth a shot, right?  
"Okay. Maybe one video, see how it goes, how the community reacts, and how I like it. Yeah, I'l try it out." Barbara clapped her hands together and bounced up and down a bit.  
"Hell, yeah. You're gonna do great, I know it! I'll let Geoff know, and he'll stop by when they record the next one!" Lilly smiled and willed her stomach to stop forming knots. Barbara smiled back and walked out of Lilly's office with a goodbye thrown over her shoulder.  
Lilly returned to her work and thought about how good this could be. She could build a small fan base even, enter the community more and not just be the employee with no real title.  
Lilly finished up her morning work routine and decided to venture out of her office for lunch. She didn't do this very often but she was feeling pretty good. Lilly was excited to start making a name for herself and it made her optimistic for the future.  
"Hey, Lilly!" Michael greeted. "I heard you'd be doing our AWHU's from now on! Maybe they'll actually get done without too many interruptions and goofing off." Michael tried leaning against the wall but misjudged how far away it was and ended up hitting it hard with his shoulder. "That was smooth of me." Michael mumbled. Lilly raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.  
"Yeah, I'm just going to try it out, see if I like it. If it goes well, maybe I'll spend more time in the Achievement Hunter office. You won't get sick of me, will you?" Michael laughed and shook his head a bit.  
"Get sick of you? Never. I'd love to see you around the office more. Would you maybe want to get lunch with me today?" Michael fiddled with a loose string on his sleeve nervously as he awaited Lilly's response.  
"Of course, Michael. I'd love to get lunch with you." Lilly offered Michael a smile who took a deep breath and returned it.  
"Okay, cool, mind if we stop by the AH office so I can grab my wallet?" Lilly nodded and they began walking that way, making small talk about their work day. Shortly, Michael walked into the office with Lilly trailing behind him.  
"Micoo!" Gavin yelled. "Are we doing swimmy bev today?" Gavin bounced over to Michael holding a big bag of gummy worms.  
"Not today, Gav. I have lunch plans with Lilly, but tomorrow, yeah?" Gavin shrugged and ate a few gummy worms.  
"Alright, but you owe me two swimmy bevs now!" Michael stuck his hand out and shook Gavin's in an agreement. They released hands and Michael picked up his wallet from his desk. Michael then offered his arm to Lilly, who laughed quietly and grabbed it.  
"So, cafeteria food or would you rather a restaurant? " Lilly pondered the question. "I'm paying by the way, and don't refuse it." Lilly shook her head at Michael as they walked down the hall.  
"Well, what about we just get something from the cafeteria and eat outside? I could use some sunshine." Michael nodded and took a quick right to head towards the restaurants in the building.  
"Alright, but don't let me burn. If I do, I 100% blame you." Michael nudged Lilly a bit and pulled her towards the line with the fewest people.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long for the next update, was stuck on where to take it. I think there's definitely going to be something between Lilly and Michael, and I want this story to be about Lilly getting somewhere with her career, maybe even finding a talent or something she likes to do for a job.  
> I hope you guys liked this, I will hopefully update again soon, but I'm becoming a manager at my work so not sure what type of time I will have!  
> Give me honest opinions, things you think I should expand on, improve on, and work on in my writing abilities. Thanks for reading :)  
> Twitter: @lame_kate  
> Tumblr: fragile-space.tumblr.com


	3. Sunlight Break

Michael and Lilly wandered outside to the picnic area with their food and set the trays down. Today's menu: sloppy joes, potato wedges, and a fruit cup.  
"So, Lilly, are you excited to start doing the AWHU's?" Michael asked with a mouth full of sloppy joe.  
"I'm not to sure how to feel about it. Cameras were always a touchy subject for me, but I'm not doing anything crazy productive for the company, so maybe it's time I do something with my time." Lilly stared down at her food and took small bites from the potato wedges. She wanted to be an important asset to the company, be an employee worth keeping around.  
Michael didn't understand what she was thinking. He always thought she was important, and not just because he had a crush on her, but because she did a lot for this company. Stuff that nobody else really bothers with. All the other employees are friendly and kind, but mostly look out for themselves. They don't go out of the way for the other employees quite like Lilly does.  
"You know, Lilly, you do a lot more for this company than you realize." Lilly raised her eyebrows and laughed nervously. She didn't agree with Michael. "I would love to see you be more in the community, but behind scenes, you do a lot. Who else goes around and warms all the computers up in the morning. Those hunks of garbage take so long in the mornings, and without you, a lot less work would get done. Don't forget shooting videos, you think of everything we might need. Your car has practically everything inside of it we always forget to bring to a set or shooting location. Don't down play your job. You tie up all of our loose ends that nobody remembers to do."  
Lilly took a moment to process what Michael said. She agreed with what he said. The Roosterteeth company was rather forgetful. Lilly supposed her job was important, but she still wanted to be doing more.  
"Thank you, Michael. I do a lot, but it doesn't seem like it when it becomes routine. I want to put myself out there more. Do more, I am a workaholic after all. I like to keep busy and be productive." Michael smiled at Lilly and continued to eat. Lilly pondered the idea of dating Michael. It was a fleeting thought, one that came as quickly as it went. The ghost of the thought lingered and would proceed to trouble her all day.  
"So, Lilly, what video games do you like?" Lilly finished off her sloppy Joe and considered all the games she had played.  
"Well, the Bioshock Trilogy is definitely my favorite, they were the first games I played where I actually enjoyed it. I like the dark games, psychological stuff."  
"No way," Michael smiled brightly at Lilly and continued," The bioshock games are my favorite by far. We should get together some time and play the re-mastered versions." Michaels leg was bouncing up and down under the table, nervous about essentially asking Lilly on a date. Well, second date? He wasn't sure if this was a date. He wanted it to be, and he hoped Lilly did too.  
"Yeah, that'd be awesome." Lilly smiled at Michael who smiled back. She began to laugh as his teeth were full of Sloppy Joe. "You uhm... Have a little something in your teeth." Michaels eyes got wide, and his cheeks turned a shade redder. He gulped water down in an attempt to clear his teeth out all while Lilly was laughing at him.  
"You're a very mean person, to be laughing at a helpless man with food in his teeth. What did I ever do to you?" Michael feigned offense and stick his bottom lip out in sadness.  
"I just really wanted to embarrass you." Lilly shot him a wink and then picked her tray up to begin heading back from lunch. "So, Bioshock tonight at my house?" She asked.  
"Tonight? What time?" Michael suddenly grew nervous. He wasn't mentally prepared to be around Lilly alone, in her house, nerding out with her. But he couldn't chicken out.  
"Be at my house around 6 p.m.?" Lilly moved from one foot to the other nervously.  
"Sounds like a date." Michael said without thinking. He quickly looked at Lilly to gauge her reaction.  
"It's a date." Lilly nodded at Michael and walked away from the picnic table. A date? That was fast and very unexpected. She didn't expect Michael to want to go on a date with her, although this was an ideal date for her. Video games were fun, especially when it's a game that two people enjoy. Lilly smiled to herself, feeling like a school girl, and deposited her food tray back in the cafeteria. The trek back to her office was quick, and not much of a trek but it felt like it when you're full of good food and oddly tired. Lilly opened the door to her office and decided for once, to leave it open.  
A mental decision was made in which Lilly decided to no longer cut herself off from the rest of the company. She was going to change things, she wanted to change things. Lilly wanted to be more comfortable, she had been working here for 3 years for Christ sake. This was her second home.  
Lilly walked over to the windows in her office and pulled the blinds open, dust flew into the air which was no surprise seeing as the blinds had not been opened in a long time. She loved nature and being outside, but in her office, she wasn't too fond of it. Lilly was making changes though. She unlatched the windows and pulled the glass open, allowing fresh August air to enter her musty office. The sun shone into her office and filled every crevice with light. Lilly imagined the sun was doing that to her mind, filling all the dark places with light and consuming the bad things that reside there. She imagined the bad thoughts bursting into flame and disappearing, leaving nothing behind but glitter. Yes, glitter was a happy fun thing and the bad was turning into something good.  
Lilly doesn't quite understand what caused this sudden mental change in her. It's like, everything shifted and suddenly Lilly wanted to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for being MIA. When I started this, I was in a full time job in which I was exhausted every second of the day. I have since left that job and am now in a full time job that gives me free time in between doing work. Chapters should hopefully be more frequent, longer, and better.  
> Leave feedback for me!  
> Twitter: lame_kate


	4. Change of Plan

Lilly got her fill of basking in the sudden mental change, and decided to finish up any work so Michael and her could go on their date. However, upon returning to her desk, Lilly noticed an email from Geoff. Lilly often helped Geoff complete any projects for Let's Play's, as Geoff was a very busy man himself. Building maps and designing Let's Play's often took a lot of time, time that he didn't have. She sighed and opened up the email. The on time she doesn't want to be at work, and of course she receives more work. The email is asking her to create the map for Dark Monopoly in Minecraft. It's something that Geoff knew he needed to do, but his time management skills weren't the greatest. It was easily going to take a few hours, if not all night. Geoff had sent what he had started but it was confusing and not worth the time. So, Lilly started fresh and began the build.  
Minecraft was a fun, creative way for Lilly to relax. This time though, Lilly couldn't stop thinking about where she wanted to be. She took a deep breathe and continued working the gears in her brain, using Google images of other people's builds for some inspiration. As she was building, her phone began to ring. She reached over and picked it up.  
"Hello?" She asked, half annoyed at the interruption.  
"Lilly! Are you ready for tonight?" Michael asked over the phone. She could clearly tell her was excited. She smiled at the thought but then quickly remembered what she now had to do.  
"Actually, something came up. Geoff is having me build a Minecraft Let's Play and it's going to take me awhile. It's for the video tomorrow."  
"Oh. Well, want me to come and keep you company, or help? I could bring one of the portable consoles." Michael offered. Lilly pondered the thought. She supposed this could still be considered a date, despite the fact that they were at work.  
"Okay, yeah. Thank you, Michael. Sorry about the change of plans. Still a date?" She asked hesitantly.   
"Still a date. I'll bring some snacks! See you in a few." With that, Michael hung up and Lilly was by herself again. She put the phone down and smiled to herself. She imagined a rainbow was shooting from her heart and filling the room with warmth.   
Standing up, Lilly turned her Bluetooth speaker on, and put some Indie rock playlist on in the background to fill the silence. Lilly cleared a space on her desk for Michael to set his stuff up, and then went to the next office over and stole an office chair from it. She wasn't sure what was going to happen tonight. Lilly always hated the uncertainty of first dates, would he kiss her at the end? Would they just hug? Would this be the only date? So many questions began to race through her head. She took a deep breathe and walked over to close the blinds, but leave the window still open. The cool night air filtered in and it was refreshing.   
A knock at the door startled Lilly. She knew who it was, but still said, "Come in!" Michael opened the door and offered her a pleasant smile.  
"Hey, Sunshine." Michael entered the room lugging a case, presumably the Xbox, and carrying a tote bag which she could only imagine contained the snacks.  
"Sunshine?" Lilly questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well yeah, it's your new nickname." Lilly began to blush and looked away. She hated feeling like a schoolgirl, but here she was. Michael brought his Xbox over, and began to set it up, plugging everything in and getting signed in. "Ready to get to work, my lovely date?" Michael grinned at Lilly and she let out a laugh.  
"Let's get this knocked out." Lilly walked over to her chair, and took a spot her spot next to Michael. She could practically feel his energy radiating off of him. He was still smiling, but looking at his computer screen. Lilly invited Michael to the server and he quickly joined him. His Minecraft character walked over to her and began rapidly crouching. Lilly laughed and began jumping in the air repeatedly.   
"So, what's the build?" Michael asked. Lilly moved her character towards the nether portal and began to enter the nether.  
"It's Dark Monopoly." Lilly mumbled.  
"Oh God. God, why. Why would Geoff want to put us through something like this again?" Michael's character followed Lilly's and saw what she had already begun. "Well, this is going to be a fun night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Happy New Year :) Stay positive, stay humble, and be yourself. Well wishes to everyone this year!   
> Leave me feedback, pointers, and maybe suggestions for where you want to see this go. Thank you to everyone who has left Kudos and comments!   
> Until next time.  
> Twitter: @lame_kate


	5. A New Day

Lilly and Michael had worked until 2 in the morning on Dark Monopoly. With the final block in place, and all the rules established and emailed to Geoff, they shut down the consoles and Lilly locked up her office.  
"Sorry our plans got ruined." Lilly said. She really did feel bad that their plans had gotten switched up like that. Michael just smiled at her, bags under his eyes.  
"It's okay, this was still fun. It just means you owe me a second date." Lilly glanced up at Michael who had a blush creeping up his neck.  
"Yeah, I'd like a second date." Michael smiled at Lilly and held the door open for her. The night air was refreshing, especially after being in the office most of the day. They walked together towards the parking lot. Lilly felt something brush her hand and looked down to see Michaels hand dangerously close to hers. She says dangerously because she didn't know if Michael just wasn't aware of how close their hands were. Was she suppose to grab it and make the next move? Was she suppose to ignore it or what? She hated this uncertainty. She hated not knowing what the other person was thinking or what their intentions were.  
Lilly let out a small sigh and glanced at their hands again. Michaels fingers were twitching, maybe because they were cold? She took in a deep breath, glanced down at their fingers again and lifted her index fingers towards Michaels. The tip of her finger brushed his finger and as she brought it back, his index finger reached out and wrapped around hers. Lilly couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Michael looked at her and began to laugh as well. In the midst of the laughing, Michael had reached his hand over and intertwined his fingers with Lilly's. They both stopped laughing and just smiled. Lilly felt her heart beating, rushing with excitement. Michael felt like he could run a mile, he was so energetic now.  
"When's the next date going to be?" Lilly asked, still smiling. Michael squeezed her hand, as if remember that it was there.  
"Tomorrow night?" Michael asked. "We could go get some dinner at a fancy restaurant, go on a cliché romantic date. I'll use all the old tricks." Lilly giggled and nodded her head.  
"That sounds lovely, Michael. I'd love to." They arrived at Michaels car and to both of their disappointment, released hands.  
"Are you going to be okay riding your bike home? I could give you a ride." Michael offered. Lilly nodded her head.  
"I'll be fine. Thank you for the concern though. See you tomorrow?" Lilly offered.  
"Yeah, definitely. I'll pick you up from your office tomorrow night around 5?" Michael asked. Lilly nodded her head yes and Michael stepped in for a hug, a smile permanently plastered to his face. They hugged briefly and Lilly stepped away, feeling bashful and like a little kid being given ice cream. Or, an adult receiving ice cream. Everybody gets excited receiving ice cream.  
Lilly waved goodbye to Michael and ventured back to her bike. It was chained up just outside of the building, waiting patiently for her. She unlocked her bike, and watched as Michaels car pulled from the parking lot. Her mind was wandering to the different things that could happen tomorrow. What kind of date would it be? He said cliché, so how many clichés was he going to do? All of them? She pondered the thought for awhile whilst pointing her bike towards home. The ride home was always peaceful and relaxing, especially after a long day of working. The fresh air cleared Lilly's head and the enjoyment from riding her bike made her feel like she was flying. The ride was short however, and so the enjoyment was short lived.  
Lilly's apartment complex came into view. She rode up to the doors and hoisted her bike into her arms. Lilly fumbled with the door and elbowed through it, entering the complex with a huff. She walked up to the elevators and pressed the up button, then set her bike down and rested it against her side. The complex was a decent size, with well built apartments. The elevator dinged to signal its arrival and Lilly rolled her bike into the elevator with her.  
After a few minutes, Lilly was inside her apartment. It was a pretty simple, open plan apartment. The furniture, appliances, and cabinets were very nice though. Lilly was picky when it came to her home space. She rested the bike against the wall next to her door and walked to the windows. She had lots of windows, but they were all covered up with the blinds drawn closed. She felt the same rush of new found life as she did earlier, and pulled open her blinds. Lilly could tell that she might not be getting any sleep tonight. Lilly felt the overpowering need to cleanse her apartment of all the bad juju she had let build up.  
Lilly walked to her record player, and put on an old record. The volume was low, but loud enough to filter through the apartment. Lilly's apartment was the one place that was dirty in her life. She would come home and be too tired to function anymore. To everybody else, her life was pristine and put together, but Lilly knew the truth. She was a little bit thankful Michael didn't come over. Clothes were strewn about the room, empty orange juice containers all over the coffee table, and random things that probably weren't important. Lilly set herself to work and grabbed a garbage bag, brushing all of the garbage into it. She picked up any clothes and put them into the hamper, and began randomly wiping things down with disinfectant wipes. A salt lamp that sat in the corner of the room was turned on, the windows were opened and the fresh air welcomed. Lilly liked the change that was happening. She just hoped that it stayed this good. She didn't want this feeling to go away, this feeling like everything is going to be okay for once. Lilly didn't realize how much she needed this shift in her brain. It's hard to realize when you need help, and Lilly sure didn't realize she did. The more she cleaned, the better she felt. Lilly had in unit laundry which was nice, and began some of her laundry.  
The state of her bedroom was no different than her living room. Clothes were strewn about and her bed unmade. Empty water bottles, orange juices bottles, and take out containers were set wherever there was space. Lilly began to scoop the trash into a bag, and sorted through her other dirty clothes.  
There was a lot to get done, and it might take awhile. Lilly wished it would all just be clean. She loved coming home and being surrounded by her stuff, but hated looking at the mess. Lilly continued cleaning all night and in to the next morning. She realized, as her alarm began to go off, that she had not slept at all that night, and her alarm was going off for her to go to work.  
Lilly took a deep breath and went to make some coffee. She had done the dishes as well, so for once she had coffee cups that were clean. It felt nice to see what she had done. Her coffee filled the apartment with a bitter but pleasant aroma. Lilly took a deep breathe and gazed around her apartment, taking in the change she was making in her life. Everything felt so small and unimportant, but yet here she was, feeling like she just climbed Mount Everest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Hope you all are doing well. Leave me some feedback, do you like where the direction of the story is going? Do you think the stuff about changing her life and everything is dumb? Let me know :)  
> Thank you to everyone who has left Kudos and Comments!  
> Until next time.  
> Twitter: @lame_kate


	6. Drifting

Lilly downed her coffee pretty quick, surprisingly not tired, but enjoying the taste of it. She rinsed her mug out and put it into the dishwasher, a first for her. Glancing at the time, Lilly realized she had quite a bit of time to get ready for work. These types of mornings were her favorite, the ones were she wasn't rushed, her heart wasn't racing, and she could get ready as slow or as fast as she wanted.   
The shower seemed to be calling her name, the need to wash off every piece of dirt and grime that Lilly had on her skin was just begging to be washed down the drain. She walked on her freshly mopped floors to her bathroom and grabbed a light purple towel from the hall closet. Purple always was her favorite color, especially a lilac color. The towel was soft, and freshly washed. At this point, everything in her apartment was freshly washed. Lilly didn't understand how she lived like that for so long, how she allowed her life to become something she had always feared. She didn't want to be that way, she didn't want to be isolated and alone. She didn't want to be unkempt and unorganized. This change was much needed and she was welcoming it with open arms.  
Lilly turned the shower on and adjusted the temperature to a proper degree that would wash away the bad juju in her skin. Lilly had undressed and stepped into the shower, savoring the warmth of the shower. Who knew showers were so amazing. Oh right, Lilly did. Showers were her therapy and what she often resorted to for comfort. After all, she hadn't allowed anyone into her life to provide comfort. She had to find other ways to receive it. The shower was short, but it was all she needed. The steamy bathroom offered even more comfort, not taking away the warmth from the shower and almost wrapping Lilly in a blanket of steam. Lilly's morning routine was a boring one; do her hair, apply some make-up, brush her teeth. Nothing overly special, and nothing overly done. She stepped from the bathroom and picked up some fresh clothes, dressing in a cliché hipster outfit. Lilly loved cliché, that's why she wore it. Who cares if it was cliché.   
Lilly had gathered all of her items for work into her bag and glanced out the window to see it had started to rain. She mumbled a bit and grabbed her car keys. Lilly wasn't a huge fan of driving her car, just because cars scared her. Not scared enough that she couldn't drive, but scared enough that she didn't like going long distances. There was no traumatic event where her parents died in a car crash or something, her parents were very much alive and happy. Lilly had a good childhood, she was just depressed. Depression didn't care who you were or what your situation was. It attacked whoever it felt like. Lilly happened to be that person that depression attacked. So, Lilly didn't like cars because she just didn't. They were scary and heavy and could kill you. So, Lilly preferred to ride her bike, plus it's good for the environment and stuff.  
Lilly's car was clean and organized, but full of recording equipment and random props. Lilly really did have everything the crew needed on sets. She had yet to encounter a time when she didn't have what they needed. She had sprinted out to her car, not using an umbrella since it had decided to break in the last storm they had. She practically dived into her car, slamming the door behind her. The wetness from her hair began dripping in to her lap. Lilly quickly retrieved napkins from her center console and patter her hair desperately. Her hair was going to curl into a springy mess that she had not prepared for. The curls had already begun. Lilly liked her naturally curly hair, but sometimes it was a struggle to deal with. She could tell that today was going to be one of those days.  
With a small huff, Lilly started her car and drove carefully to the office. She smiled when she saw Miles and Kerry standing at the doors, waiting for anyone to come running in from the rain. They pointed at her, a camera recording behind them. She could tell they were goofing around and probably making an RT Life video. They gave her a thumbs up and then a thumbs down, asking her if it was okay she was in the video. It was something she had invented with many of the constant records. The people who normally always had a camera following them.  
Lilly gave a thumbs up, signaling it was okay she was in the video. She had pulled into a parking spot and waited, knowing they would be running out to her with an umbrella in tow. As she thought it, the pair came running towards her car, screaming profanities and probably military style orders, acting as though this was a mission. The camera was hiding under the canopy by the front door, recording everything. Lilly grabbed her bag, and opened the car door, Miles and Kerry standing at the ready.  
"Captain Lilly, we are here to escort you to the facility." Lilly laughed and accepted the umbrella from the now drenched Kerry.  
"Thank you, Private Kerry." She raised her voice to ensure it was heard over the rain. They briskly walked back to the building, splashing in the puddles as they went.  
"Thank you, Privates. You have done an exceptional job for this country." Lilly saluted the two men with a stern look on her face. Kerry and Miles saluted back, hair dripping, but smiles plastered to their faces.  
"Thanks for taking part in that, Lilly." Miles said, grinning. "It's nice to have you in videos, the fans are going to love this one." Miles opened the door for Lilly and gestured for her to go inside. Miles followed behind her, and Kerry came in only to complain.  
"Am I really losing my partner to a girl right now?" He threw his hands into the air for dramatic effect, mostly for the camera but also because he wanted Miles to himself.   
Miles and Lilly walked together to her office, joking together about the rain and how it was pretty much the apocalypse. Miles and Lilly were actually very good work friends. They didn't often hang out outside of work, but at work he often came to visit her at her office.  
Lilly unlocked her door and stepped in, walking towards her computer. She was here a bit later than normal, or everyone was here earlier than normal. She concluded everyone was early.  
"Why are so many people here so early?" Lilly watched the bustle of people through the halls, all carrying papers and acting important.  
"It's the premiere of the new season of RWBY. Everyone is working on social media, making sure it airs, and lots of other stuff." Miles sat down at her couch and got comfy. Lilly raised her eyebrow at him and sat down at her desk, noticing it was already booted up and a muffin sat on her desk. It was from Michael; he had attached a sticky note to it, saying he couldn't wait for tonight and to enjoy the muffin. Lilly smiled and put the sticky note next to her computer.  
"What's that?" Miles asked, curiously.   
"It's a muffin. Michael gave it to me." Lilly peeled the wrapper off and tore off small pieces. She loved blueberry muffins and that's exactly what Michael had gotten her. "How did he know this kind was my favorite? Did he guess and guess right?" Lilly pondered out loud.  
"He asked me." Miles piped in. Lilly glanced up at Miles who was smiling, and then she glanced back down at the muffin. "He knew I was your best friend and asked me." Lilly laughed at that.   
"I guess you are my best friend. Thank you for not having him get me banana or something." Lilly was deathly allergic to bananas. Miles saluted Lilly and bid his goodbyes. Lilly waved and ate more of her muffin. She was curious how tonight was going to go. She forgot how big of a crush she had on Michael. For awhile now, she had liked Michael and simply admired from a far, but now, she could admire up close. Lilly was giddy with excitement for tonight, she couldn't wait for the day to be over which was a first. Lilly never liked leaving work, but she had a good reason this time.   
Beginning her morning work, Lilly continued to think about Michael and tonight. She really wanted tonight to go well, maybe they even kiss. What an odd thought, for them to actually kiss. Lilly never imagined something like that could happen. They were polar opposites when it came to their personalities, but that didn't matter. Lilly assumed that Michael liked her, considering he was taking her on a date. That was okay to assume, right? She hoped so. Lilly finished off the muffin and pulled up an email from Geoff, praising her on the work on Dark Monopoly. He included that if she would like, she could join them for the recording of it, and actually play or dictate the game since she did build it. They were recording at 9 a.m. Lilly smiled and replied saying she would be there. Ignoring the fear of recording a Let's Play with Achievement Hunter, Lilly took a deep breath and headed towards their office. She couldn't believe she was doing this. It wasn't anything drastic or life changing, but there were a lot of changes happening around Lilly right now. She was stepping out of her comfort zone, and she couldn't help but think that it was for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I hope this is alright. Not sure what you guys think, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. Let me know what you think. Another chapter will be up probably next week or in a few days.  
> Twitter: @lame_kate  
> Until next time.


	7. Dark Monopoly

Lilly pondered all morning on the events of tonight. If only she could see into the future so she could mentally prepare herself for the date. Not only was the date happening tonight, but in a few minutes, she was to be recording a Let's Play with Achievement Hunter. Lilly tried not to let the anxiety get to her. She was excited, but felt like throwing up at the same time. It really was an odd sensation. She only wanted to have fun today, but here she was, internally freaking out. The idea of recording a Let's Play was exciting, the only part that made her nervous was that thousands, if not millions, of people would be watching it. That's people that Lilly is allowing to judge her, tear her apart, make fun of her. She saw the comments that were often left on the videos from Roosterteeth employees. That was her biggest fear, being open to judgment. Lilly didn't know how to handle it, she didn't know how she would take it, or deal with it. It was new and scary. Lilly didn't like new and scary, she preferred her comfort zone and for good reason: to prevent this exact thought process from happening.   
Lilly took a deep breath and told herself to stop focusing on the negative. She needed to embrace this change and discomfort. Gazing at the time, Lilly decided that it was time to head over there. She gathered herself, adjusted her clothes to be slightly more comfortable, and wandered over to the office. Lilly's office was relatively close to her own office, in fact, Gavin's office was right next to hers but he never used it. Lilly forced herself to not walk fast, attempting to keep her breathing even. She wanted this to be over with.  
"Lilly! You made it!" Gavin shouted upon her walking in. She gave him a smile and wandered towards the couch to sit down. She wasn't sure where she was suppose to be, or suppose to sit.  
"You can have Ryan's desk, he's gone for the day. Out sick or something, probably streaming." Geoff said. Lilly blinked at all of the desks and saw the one that was empty. It was adorned with a few decorations and references to videos that she didn't understand. Lilly walked over and took her place at the desk, booting it up and following Geoff's instructions on the recording equipment. It took them awhile to teach Lilly everything, this area of expertise was not one that she knew very well. Michael smiled at Lilly fondly while he helped her set the things up.  
"So this is what is going to record the screen, and right now it's recording, as is the microphone. The editors will cut all of this out." Michael added. He was close to Lilly, their shoulders nearly touching whilst he leaned across the desk and helped her. She knew some of the stuff he was doing, having delved into it a tad bit. However, she didn't know nearly as much as she should for being a part of a video. None the less, Lilly smiled back at Michael and took over from him, putting on the bulky headphones and opening up Minecraft. She was playing as Ryan's character and immediately set to changing his skin to something more suitable.   
Geoff began the introductions to the game, introducing Lilly, to which she replied with a small 'Hello' and everyone gathered in Achievement City. With the realization that it was Dark Monopoly, a chorus of groans and complaints went around the room. Michael feigned disdain, as Geoff did not know that Michael aided in the building of the map. The recording was long and exhausting, yet fun. Lilly forgot what she was doing and where she was, forgot that this was going to be put out for all of the public to see. She let the snarky comments and the attitude flow freely. Lilly allowed herself to open up, she allowed herself to have fun, despite being the moderator, and she allowed herself to feel free. Well, as free as she could feel in the room with no windows. But, that wasn't the point. The point was that Lilly had opened her eyes to the world of possibilities. She found that she was enjoying herself and it was an odd feeling. Something that she had stressed over so much, was suddenly something that Lilly wanted to keep doing. She wanted to do this more, she almost couldn't get enough, which was odd because this wasn't a drug.   
The recording took hours for them to complete, which it wasn't even completed. They were doing this in parts which meant Lilly would be back. She really liked the idea of that. Lilly wanted to be back every day. She was practically bouncing up and down by the time the recording was finished. Everybody else was exhausted, seemingly drained, but Lilly was energized and ready to do more.  
"Don't worry," Michael said, a tired smile on his lips," What you are feeling right now will go away after a couple hundred videos." Michael walked over to Lilly and helped her close everything down and send the recordings off. "Are you going to be sticking around more often now?" The hopefulness in Michaels voice was evident. Lilly smiled at him and nodded her head.  
"As long as Geoff will have me." Lilly peered around Michael at Geoff who gazed back at her.  
"Hell yes. It will be nice to have someone who isn't a complete dimwit around here." Gavin yelled at Geoff, assuming the comment was about him. Michael smiled down at Lilly, who was still sitting in the chair.  
"Geoff? Where will I sit?" Lilly asked. She stood up from the desk after closing everything down.  
"We can get a desk set up in here for you. There's plenty of room." Lilly gazed around the room and wondered where on earth they would fit a desk in here. Lilly just offered her thanks and gathered her things.  
"Would you like to have lunch with me?" Michael asked. He was still standing relatively in front of Lilly, gazing at her. She nodded her head and pushed in the office chair. Michael smiled back at her and led the way towards the cafeteria. Passing by windows showed that it was still raining, and raining harder for that matter. Lilly sighed, loving and hating the rain at the same time. She wanted the sunshine but loved the gloomy drizzle of the rain. Michael noticed her staring out every window they passed and wondered why. He wasn't going to ask out loud though, she looked to mesmerized by it. Michael knew she was a nature person, and that's what he was centering his date tonight around. He wanted to leave a good impression, he wanted to make Lilly his girlfriend. He wanted Lilly around all the time. She was beautiful when she talked about the things she liked, she was always beautiful though. She just seemed to shine when she talked about the things she liked. Recording the video with her today was mesmerizing, he had the most fun in a video that he has had in awhile. Sure, videos were fun, but they became routine. This was fresh and new. Lilly was someone new to interact with, someone amazing. He really wanted her to be there everyday, he wanted her to always record videos with them. He would make Rage Quit be him and Lilly. Call it the Rage and the Calm something more clever than that. Lilly was calm while playing games, even when being beat or if something was frustrating. She just took things as they came and that was such a good quality. Michael admired her for it, he loved that she was this way. He loved her personality.   
Lilly looked forward, and smiled at Michael, her cheeks a shade darker. Michael smiled back and offered his hand to her. She glanced down, and intertwined her fingers with his. Their fingers fit together snugly and comfortably. Lilly walked next to Michael now, staring straight ahead. They entered the cafeteria together and walked towards the food. She tried not to notice the people staring; it wasn't anything crazy for coworkers to be dating. Office romances often sprang up but mostly due to late nights confusing peoples feeling for each other. Late nights were intimate and often led to quick romances. The feelings were only shared when the pair were vulnerable, tired, and lonely. Late nights were dangerous.  
Lilly and Michael gathered their food and walked over to some seats next to the window. Michael picked the seats for Lilly's viewing of the rain. He wanted to stare at her, not creepy like, but in fascination with her beauty. He wanted to admire her all day. The rain was still pouring , pounding the cement and causing run off water to form small streams wherever there was a hill. Lilly imagined running through it, drenching herself but feeling happy and light. She would feel the heaviness that often rested in her chest, melt away as the rain touched it. Lilly loved running in the rain, she loved the water bouncing off of her skin, loved the feeling of it hitting her but never hurting her. It made her feel invincible. IT was an odd concept, but then again, Lilly was an odd girl. She didn't mean to zone out like this, she often got lost inside of her head, especially when it rained. Lilly never realized when it happened though, she would simply enter her head and sometimes be there for hours. It was a bad habit she had. She realized she was doing it, especially because Michael was right though, but she couldn't bring herself back. She was drifting, thinking about the rain and the feelings inside of her.  
Michael pondered what Lilly was thinking about, she was staring out the window and slowly bringing French fries up to her mouth. He wondered if this is how she was whenever it rained, zoned out and almost an empty shell of a person. Someone lost inside of their own thoughts and imagination. Michael decided that he wanted to be there to bring her back from that if she wanted it. Michael wanted to be her anchor, he wanted to keep her grounded and help bring her back from herself. He decided that he would do everything in his power to make her happy. He noticed the way her eyes seemed to drift across the scene outside, he noticed the laziness in her movements, and the rhythm of her breathing. Michael wasn't sure if where she was right now was good or bad. Her right hand was resting on the table, fingers twitching occasionally. Michael tentatively reached out and rested his hand on top of hers. He watched Lilly blink a few times, rapid blinks as if she was re-focusing her eyes. Her head turned towards Michael and then down towards their hands. Michael wrapped his fingers around the sides of her hand and squeezed ever so slightly. Lilly smiled down at their hands and weight of his on top of hers. It felt nice, the pressure and the comfort from it. She liked this, she decided. It was a good weight. When Michael had first touched her hand, she felt like she was a balloon, drifting in the sky with no destination but wanting to be somewhere. Michaels hand weighted her, it brought her down from that feeling and held her on the ground.   
This only happened when Lilly was tired really. She was running on little to no sleep and had some very exciting few days. In the past two days, many things happened. She was exhausted and was just no realizing it.  
"Do you need to take a nap?" Michael asked, squeezing her hand every few seconds softly. Lilly cleared her throat and looked up at Michael.  
"Probably, but I think I have a lot of work to do." Lilly reached over with her non-occupied hand and began to eat more of the French fries.  
"I think you should get some rest. I can wake you up when it's time to leave work." Michael offered. He had finished his food and was waiting expectantly for an answer. Lilly nodded softly and stood up from the table.  
"I might fall over from exhaustion." She mumbled out. Michael released her hand and quickly picked up both food trays, rushing them to the garbage. He wanted to hold her hand more and the food trays were getting in the way of that. Michael briskly walked back from the trash cans to Lilly's side and intertwined their fingers together, leading a shuffling Lilly back to her office. She hadn't realized how tired the rain had made her until now. She could hardly walk, let alone make coherent sentences. Michael was like her seeing dog, leading her and making sure she didn't bump into any people or harsh corners. When they got to Lilly's office, she smiled greatly and Michael and collapsed onto the couch. Michael pulled out the blanket and pillow, lifting her head softly and placing the pillow underneath. Michael untied her shoes and placed them next to the couch. Lilly lazily reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and dragged it onto herself. Michael chuckled at her poor excuse of an attempt and unfolded the blanket, draping it over her. He smiled at how cute and sleepy she was and walked towards the door, flipping the light off. The rain tapped against the windows and the shadows of the drops danced around the room. Michael glanced at Lilly once more, deciding that he would let her sleep until she awoke, even if that meant he stayed here all night. He would go back to work, but afterwards come back and keep her company. When she awoke, he didn't want her panicking or getting worried that she hadn't done any work. It was only about 2 p.m. so she had awhile. Michael would give her all night if she needed. Michael silently closed the door and walked back to the office. Michael was going to be Lilly's anchor, he was going to take care of her. She could take care of herself but doesn't mean he can't help. Michael wanted to help Lilly anyway he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope this chapter was okay. Not a whole lot of dialogue, if that sucked then tell me. Seems kind of lengthy, if it needs more dialogue in the future and interactions then please tell me :) Let me know what you guys think!  
> Twitter: @lame_kate  
> Until next time.


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